


Free (Can't Break Me)

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard Friendship, F/M, Gen, Runaway, Sisters, Tumblr Prompt, Young Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Young Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-25 01:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13824030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Regina becomes Snow's step-sister, rather than her step-mother, and it changes everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by loboselinaistrash on Tumblr: Please can I have Snow Queen “Family’s more complicated than who’s blood and who’s not.” ? :)

_I remember like yesterday_   
_My innocence is gone today_   
_Luring me in the devils play_   
_To take my youth away_   
_Struck hard and your attack_   
_Venom burnt but I falled back_

_..._

_I am free, I am free_   
_I finally can breath_   
_Alive, I can scream_   
_That you can’t break me -Bria Kam & Chrissy Chambers_

Regina knew it was possibly the most dangerous thing she’d ever do, that she was risking not only her life, but Snow’s as well.

 

Even so, she had to do it.

 

After her father had died and Cora decided to marry the king, Regina wondered if maybe things would get better. Finally, Mother was getting everything she ever wanted, after all. Things were good, for a while. She became close to Snow and they built a real connection, she was still able to see Daniel as he transferred to being a stable hand for the kingdom.

 

Then Leopold brought George to the palace, he wanted their two kingdoms to be on good terms and he was in search of a bride since his late wife could never produce an heir. He was old, he was creepy and most of all, he wasn’t the man that Regina loved. Yet, her mother and step-father were intent on the two getting married.

 

Regina knew she had to run and Daniel had it all figured out, they could leave before the wedding took place. She also knew, however, that she couldn’t leave Snow behind. She had witnessed just how “close” Leopold was to his daughter and she could spot grooming from a mile away. Snow was quickly becoming a victim of Cora’s, which Leopold already turned a blind eye to. There was no way that she could leave her behind.

 

Daniel and Regina were only 18, they knew it’d be harder to bring a 10-year-old with them. Even so, Regina knew in her heart that if she left Snow behind and something were to happen…she’d never forgive herself.

 

Snow was on board from the moment Regina told her the plan and warned her it had to be a secret until it was time to put it in motion. She began going around the palace, selling things she knew her mother and step-father wouldn’t miss. Soon, they had enough money and were going to leave the night before Regina was to be wed.

 

After dinner, the two sisters retired to their rooms and waited for their parents to do the same. Once they could hear Leopold’s snoring bounding from his wing, they knew it was time. Regina had been practicing her magic and spells, able to come up with powder to have the guards sleep until they were gone. She and Snow met Daniel at the stables, ready to take off.

 

Regina wasn’t dumb, she knew that Cora could tell her every move and she had made sure that there was no way that she and Snow could be tracked. Snow had gone to Blue and acquired a magic bean, one that could take the three of them to a new land. It’d be hard and they’d struggle, but they’d have a new life.

 

The first few months there were nothing but tough. They struggled to find a shelter that allowed men to stay with women and had to come up with a backstory for why they were alone. Finally, they told everyone that Regina was “Mary Margaret’s” older sister, engaged to marry Daniel as soon as possible. With the help of some new friends, they got fake IDs, enrolled Snow in school while Regina and Daniel got jobs. She worked for a daycare center and he found factory work. They lived in a small apartment, but they were happy and free.

 

One day, Regina found Snow sitting out on their balcony, staring out at the city around them. She settled beside her and put a hand on her back.

 

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Why am I here?” She whispered.

“You know why we had to leave Snow, if you stayed, there’s no telling what my mother and your father would’ve done.”

“I know why we left, but why did you take me with you?” She looked up at Regina. “If not for me…”

“If not for you, how would we have gotten the magic bean to com here? Daniel and I would’ve been caught by Mother in a heartbeat.”

“Still…you did all this for me…and we’re not even…I mean, we’re sisters…but…”

“No, buts.” Regina placed a hand on top of her own. “Family’s more complicated than who’s blood and who’s not. We are sisters, a family. I love you, Snow. I’m just sorry I can’t give you the life you were used to.”

Snow shrugged. “It’s not the palace…but we’re finally free.”

Regina let out a sigh, staring out at the bright city in front of them. “Yeah,” she mumbled, feeling a weight lift off her chest for the first time in all her 18 years. “We really are.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by anonymous on Tumblr: 16. “that’s not even fair.” - Snowing

Snow had fallen in love, head over heels, madly, deeply in love.

 

And it scared the living hell out of Regina.

 

It had been 9 years since they used the magic bean to escape to the land without magic and things were going pretty well for the most part. Snow had graduated from high school and was going to a college only 15 minutes away from their home. Regina and Daniel were now doing a lot better for themselves, he worked for a farm and she had managed to go to school as well, now working for a law firm. They had moved out of their small, crappy apartment into a cozy house and were the parents to a beautiful baby boy they named Henry.

 

Then Snow met David Nolan, a boy at her college. He was cute, charming and everything she had ever dreamed of. They started dating midway through their freshmen year and were out pretty much every night. One of those evenings, he dropped her off at her sister’s house since she planned on spending the weekend.

 

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” he said.

“I did too.

“You know, I’d love for you to meet my mother this weekend.”

“Your mother?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Already?”

“Yeah, she’s so excited to meet you.”

“Great, maybe you can meet Regina and Daniel too.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He pecked her lips. “I love you, Mary Margaret.”

 

She kept a smile on her face, but the name made her want to break down in tears. For the past 8 years, she had been Snow inside the walls of Regina and Daniel’s home, but to the public, she had to be Mary Margaret Mills. She missed being Snow White, she missed being able to tell people who she really was. She loved David, so much. He had shared all of his secrets with her, why couldn’t she share hers with him?  


“Absolutely not,” Regina said, when she brought it up once they were inside.

“Why not? At worst, he thinks I’m crazy and never wants to talk to me again.”

“You don’t know if he’s a spy.”

Snow threw her hands up in the air. “Not this again.”

  
Regina was paranoid and most would argue for good reason. She constantly looked over her shoulder and worried that somehow, Leopold and Cora would find their way to this land. She was so panicked that they’d find a way to ruin the happy ending they had worked hard to build. She refused to let Snow ever tell anyone of their true identities, just in case.

 

“I highly doubt that David is a spy sent by Dad and Cora. It’s been 8 years!”

“You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“If David was a spy, we’d already be in danger,” Snow pointed out. “But I’ve been dating him for 5 months, he’s a good guy.”

“It’s not a good idea, Snow. No one can know where we come from.”

“That’s not even fair! Why do you get to make all the rules?”

“Because I’m the oldest.”

“Well, news flash, I’m not a child anymore and I can do whatever I want.”

 

She stormed up the stairs and slammed her door shut behind her. Henry began wailing in his playpen, causing Regina to sigh and lean down, lifting him out and slowly rocking him.

 

“She’s not going to tell him,” Daniel assured her from the doorway.

Regina was silent as she got the baby to settle down. Once he was contently sucking on his pacifier, she turned to him. “Am I wrong, though? For not letting her tell him?”

Daniel sighed. “I mean…they’re in love.”

“They’re children.”

“We were the same age when we fell in love.”

That got her thinking. “I just…I’m scared.”

“I know, but if David was a spy, don’t you think we’d already be in danger?” He walked closer and put his hands on her shoulders. “Look, the truth is, no one else here is from where we are. We’re safe. It’s been  9 years, don’t you think if anything was going to happen, it already would’ve?”

Regina bit her lip. “If anything were to happen to her…or Henry…”

“But it won’t. We’re safe,” he repeated.

Slowly, Regina nodded. “Okay, I’ll talk to her in the morning.”

 

Snow went onto tell David and while he didn’t believe it at first, when he heard it from Regina and then Daniel, he did. It was weird, more than that, but he accepted it and began calling Snow by her real name. He was becoming a part of the Mills-Colter family.

 

Little did they know that in another 9 years-time, they’d be forced to make a choice: keep their happily ever after or trade it for their old lives.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by anonymous on Tumblr: for the sentence starters: “Crap, who’s dead now?” + "We're all horrible people!" + Charming Family and the Mills Sisters

Regina stood behind Snow, smiling as she rocked her baby girl. She couldn’t believe it had been 9 years since David had joined the family and now it had grown even more. Snow and David had gotten married 5 years after meeting and were just having their first child, Emma Ruth Nolan. She was beautiful, looking like a mixture of both of her parents. They weren’t the only ones who had added along the way, Regina and Daniel had welcomed a daughter 3 years earlier, whom they had named Amara Grace.

 

They were happy, things were good. Snow was now a teacher and David was working on becoming detective at their local police station. Daniel and Regina’s careers had taken off as well. Things were quiet, mellow.

 

David’s phone rang and Daniel jokingly rolled his eyes. “Crap, who’s dead now,” he teased, knowing his brother-in-law could get called into work.

“It’s not work,” David said, shrugging a little bit. “It’s weird, I’ve been getting calls a lot from this number over the past few days, I don’t know who it is.”

“I’ve been getting the same,” Regina admitted and Snow nodded to show she had too.

“That’s weird,” Daniel scratched the back of his neck. “Anyone get into some unknown debt?”

Snow rolled her eyes. “I bet it’s just some kind of scam.”

 

There was a sudden pounding at the door, which made Regina jump. Daniel placed a hand on her back, helping her not go into panic mode. 18 years later and she could still be brought back to her childhood in a blink of an eye. She walked over to the door and opened it, gasping at the other side.

 

Regina had discovered Zelena when they were children. Regina had gotten herself into some magic trouble and was in a coma. Cora had recruited Zelena to help and it had woken her up. She and Zelena had been close, playing together and having a lot of fun…until they realized that they were sisters. Cora immediately sent Zelena back to her adoptive father and seemingly erased Regina’s memory of the situation, but it hadn’t worked. She had secretly tried to find a way back to Zelena for years, but it never worked. The last she knew, Zelena had gone to Rumpelstiltskin for help…which Regina knew wasn’t the best idea. Zelena couldn’t be reasoned with, though. She said that there was no other way out.

 

Then Regina had made a choice of her own to escape and that had been the end of that.

 

“Zelena,” she whispered.

“Hey sis.”

“How did you get here?”

“Mother. She cursed the kingdom.”

Regina swallowed. “What?”

“She brought us all this land with no magic so she could find you.”

Snow came to the door, followed by Daniel and David. “Regina, who is this?”

“My sister,” Regina said, softly.

“I didn’t know you had one.”

“It was always Mother’s best kept secret. She gave Zelena up before she married my father.” She bit her lip. “Cora’s in this land.”

Snow’s eyes widened and she held her baby closer. “Does she know where we are?”

“Not yet,” Zelena said. “But she’s trying to figure it out. She’s long since killed Leopold so we all could get here, but on her own, she’s scary enough. I need your help.”

“Help?” Regina laughed bitterly. “Zelena, I ran away from her.”

“Yes and that’s why we’re all here!”

“She wanted me to marry a man twice my age, she wanted to ruin my life even further, I did what I had to do. She was horrible.”

“We’re all horrible people!”

“Regina’s not,” Daniel said. “Zelena, I understand that you’re upset, but we can’t help you. We’re finally free from Cora.”

“And the people in Storybrooke deserve to be her prisoner? To pay the price because she’s angry at the three of you?”

“What exactly do you expect us to do?” Regina asked. “To come back, so she can what…have me marry George? No way in hell.”

“No, I want you to come back so we can fight her together. I’m one of the few people that’s awake. We can’t let her win.” Desperation shone in her emerald eyes. “Please, Regina. I can’t do this alone, you grew up with her, you know what she’s like.”

“Regina,” Snow whispered. “Maybe Zelena’s right.”

“Are you insane?” Regina looked from Emma to her. “You think we should go there?”

“I think we shouldn’t let Cora hurt anyone else. Yes, we’re free and safe, but for how long? Your mother will figure out where we are eventually and she’ll try to hurt us. Don’t you think it’s best that we team up together and try to take her down? She won’t see it coming.”

 

Regina sighed, pacing in place for a moment. For the past 18 years, she had been free, she had found a way to relax and find her own happy ending. Going back to fight her mother, it was the last thing she ever thought she’d have to do. It wasn’t fair, she had two beautiful children, a husband and now, a niece.

 

But she knew in order to keep that precious family, she couldn’t run again. It was time to face her mother once and for all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A look back into Snow’s teen years in this verse. :)

Regina had done her best to try to trust the world around them, but it was hard. This realm was definitely better in terms of technology and medicine, but it also came with its own set of challenges…especially when it came to teenagers. What made it worse was the fact that Snow seemed to be oblivious to said dangers.

 

“You can’t go to the party tonight,” Regina said, leaning in the doorway of her sister’s room.

Snow looked up, tilting her head. “What party?”

“The one I found the flier to in your sweatshirt pocket.”

“You went through my stuff?!?”

“No, it fell out when I was doing the laundry. You’re free to start doing that whenever you like.”

Snow rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I didn’t even say I wanted to go.”

“Just wanted to make the expectations clear.”

“Good for you. Now, if you could go, I have Biology to do.”

 

Regina sighed, but shut the door behind her as she walked away. Snow’s teen years were harder than she thought they’d be and she still felt like she was a child herself, at only 22 years old. She wouldn’t change the choices that she and Daniel made for the world, they were safe, they were happy. Still, she wondered if she was failing Snow in some way.

 

Later that night, Regina woke up to loud banging. She had always been a light sleeper, she had Cora to thank for that, but it had gotten worse since they came to their current realm. She looked over at Daniel, who was still out cold. She climbed out of bed and grabbed the bat she kept under the bed, slowly walking through their apartment. The living room and kitchen were clear, which only made her panic worse, it meant the noise had to be coming from Snow’s room. She opened the door immediately and found Snow’s window open, the curtains billowing in the wind. Rushing to the window, she saw Snow climbing down the fire escape.

 

“That little,” she muttered under her breath.

 

Dropping the bat, she quickly jumped onto the base of the fire escape. Snow saw her and jumped down the remaining two rings, trying to run off quickly, but Regina was too fast for her. She got to the bottom and had a hold on Snow’s jacket in no time.

 

"What do you think you're doing? I said no!”

Snow yanked away from her, looking around in the dark night. Luckily, most sane people were still asleep. “You can’t boss me around just because you have the faintest idea of how the world works.”

“No, I can do it because I’m in charge here! Do you know the dangerous things that could happen at parties? You could get seriously hurt.”

“I’ll be fine! I thought the whole point of this was us being free!”

“We are free.”

“Really? Because sometimes it feels that you just want to keep me locked up.”

 

That felt like a slap to the face. Regina tried with Snow, she really did. She gave her space and let her hang out with her friends during daylight. She had a curfew and it was pretty reasonable in Regina’s mind. Was she protective? Well, yes. The world was dangerous, even moreso for people like them who didn’t belong. She had spent most of her life feeling like a prisoner and didn’t want the same for Snow. She just wanted to feel safe.

 

“You’re not a prisoner here,” Regina said, finally, the hurt evident in her voice. “I hate you remind you what it was like back with my mother.”

“I know, and that was terrible. I’m not trying to compare you to her, Regna. I’m just saying…you’re paranoid and it’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is having to escape your home on a magic bean to keep the people you want safe.” Before Snow could interject, Regina continued. “And I know it was hard for you too, but here’s the thing, I’m the adult. Maybe I don’t make the best choices, but I try. I’m in charge here and if you don’t like it, tough. I may not be your mother, but I am your older sister, your guardian. You’re not going to the party tonight and that’s final.”

 

Snow stared at her for a few moments before realizing that there was no talking Regina down from this. In 20 years, she’d be in the exact same position with her own daughter, but in that moment, she felt as if she was the most unfair person in the world.

  
“Fine,” she whispered, storming back towards the fire escape.


End file.
